A Savory Tart for Mother’s Day

Hectic schedules, more work and minimal play… then, school’s nearly out for summer. How do you maintain balance with so much going on all season long? Try to exercise every day (I work out with my son Sam as we practice for his baseball, soccer or basketball games), and eat lighter, healthier meals in the summer.

The only way to celebrate Mother’s Day in our house is to be as cheerful, pleasant and energetic as I can possibly be with my family and others. (I’m mailing my own mother this cookbook from English Chef Rose Elliott. For Mother’s Day I’d love my mother to stop eating chocolate bars for dinner and skipping meals!)

This is a quick, easy tart with a crisp walnut crust, pesto, fried onions and juicy ripe tomatoes. Elliott suggests serving it with a salad and maybe some baby potatoes. You need a large, fluted 9½-inch removable-bottom tart pan, or something of a similar size.

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF while you make pastry: Put the flour and salt into a bowl, add the oil and water, and mix with a fork until it holds together.
2. Stir in walnuts then use your fingers to press the mixture into the tart pan, covering the base and pushing it up the sides. Bake 6–8 minutes and remove from the oven.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a pan, add the onions (cover) and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Drizzle the pesto over the pastry, then place onions in an even layer. Arrange sliced tomatoes on top, overlapping, to cover completely. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and drizzle with remaining olive oil.
4. Put the tart back in the oven and bake for about 8–10 minutes to cook the tomatoes. Garnish with basil, and serve.

Nicole Dorsey, M.S. is a travel and wellness expert who earned a Master’s Degree in the health sciences while writing and editing for industry giants, such as The New York Times, Fitness Magazine and Aol.com. Her true passion is adventure travel and her spa reporting has taken her all over the world.